Controls

Drinking water quality and wastewater discharges are very closely monitored.

• Drinking water suppliesThe “Agence Régionale de Santé” (ARS = Regional Health Authority- formerly DDASS) carries out over 150 sampling tests per year to check that the water being distributed to the 4 communes meets drinking water standards. All the data relating to water quality is published in the annual “ARS price and quality” report available on the website.Alongside these controls, SIEAM carries out daily self-inspection checks on the quality of the water being distributed; these involve on-site or laboratory analysis.

• WastewaterAs for the “Drinking water supplies” service, wastewater is subjected to different types of analysis to quantify hydraulic and pollutant loads entering and leaving the Marensin sewage treatment plant (photos).

• Remote managementRemote management is centralized in the SIEAM offices and is used to communicate with the main installations (drinking water treatment plants, boreholes, wastewater treatment plant, main pumping stations) and to intervene as quickly as possible 24 hours a day in the event of a problem.

ISO 9001 AND ISO 14001 CERTIFICATIONThe audit required to confirm the ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certifications obtained in December 2012 for all its services is in progress (December 2013).

- The regional health authority (ARS) has not reported any significant non-compliances relating to production facilities or drinking water resources since early 2013. The introduction of TOC treatment at the Vieux Boucau treatment plant should further improve the results.

- The sewage treatment plant is working perfectly and meets all the requirements of the Prefectoral Authorization Order.

- The sludge from the association’s Moliets sewage treatment plant and SAF_ISIS is still composted on the treatment plant site and transported once it has matured for spreading on the agricultural land selected for the land application plan approved by the water policing authorities: spreading is monitored by the Landes chamber of agriculture.